Advent

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Preparing our Hearts during Lent

In the blink of an eye, we are already one week through our
Lenten journey.After seven days, we can
reflect on our purpose and commitment during this 40-day retreat.

Even though Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation
for Catholics, it is a day that draws so many of us to Mass every year.The solemnity of the Mass reflects on the
faces of the community and prepares each of us to humble ourselves before God
this Lent.We receive our ashes as a visible
reminder that we are human with a propensity to sin, but lovingly God created
us in His image. It is never to late for us to turn away from sin and reconcile
ourselves with God.

Lent is our opportunity to focus intensely on God’s love, to
focus on our relationship with Him and to dedicate or rededicate our lives to
His only son.And, at the end of our
40-day retreat, we are given the best reward, New Life in Jesus Christ on
Easter.

Knowing our reward, how do we best observe Lent, to prepare
our hearts for Easter?The Church instructs us to fast, give alms and pray during Lent to rededicate our lives
and journey to God.These pillars of
Lent are not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others.As Jesus sacrificed for the sake of the
world, we humble ourselves and offer our fast, alms and prayer for those
suffering in the world.

It is this promise of New Life that draws Christians to the
observance of Lent.We are all sinners,
but God loves us.Loves us so much, He
gave us His only son.During Lent, we
prepare our hearts to more fully receive the risen Christ on Easter morning. Lent is our spiritual retreat to repent from
sin, repair our relationship with Christ and open ourselves more fully to
God.

Every year I look to Lent with anticipation of beginning
this 40-day journey to the risen Lord. With reflection, repentance and prayer,
I dedicate my Lenten retreat and sacrifices to allowing God to move more deeply
in my life so that I am not the same person on Easter Sunday as I am
today.

How do you observe Lent?Do you attempt to choose sacrifices that will benefit others in some
way?

ShareThis1

Receive New Blog Posts by Email

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

About Shelly & Lisa

We are sisters, Shelly & Lisa, from the Houston area where we've been blogging since 2009. We write and share about our family lives (with a husband and 3 kids each), our faith and whatever strikes our fancy. Grab a margarita and stay for a while.